Mohamed Etify's Blog

Blogs are interesting, but what about the security issues?

Mohamed Etify — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 06:50:36 +0000

The main problem for the use of any online material is related to the computer and network security threats. To ensure that the learners’ blogs are secure, their access should be restricted only to the leaners themselves, parents and the school administration. This can happen by adjusting the privacy settins of the blog to be accessed by specific persons the learner chooses. By making blogs this way,learners may not face any improper comments , spam or the like. For more details , watch this video.

Blogs…a good way to a natural language acquisition

Mohamed Etify — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 01:53:53 +0000

Despite my little experience about blogs in general, I find them useful in the process of language learning. As they provide a means for the learner to produce a comprehensible output which is followed by feedback (comments of tutor or other learners). Thus, blogs are complete two-way-interaction where the learners can freely produce language in a low-anxiety and entertaining atmosphre. Besides, they provide learners with input (posts and comments by others)that promotes their language. Moreover, blogs can be accessed through the internet either at school or at home. Additionally,students can work together collaboraticely in a blog project in pairs or in groupwork. Learning styles are also addressed through this type of learning as blogs may contain audio or audio-visual input.Watch this video about blogs and wikis.

Blogs enable learners to develop their writing and reading skills, learn how to construct paragraphs, rephrase and edit their own work. Also, blogs develop students’ critical thinking as they are able to judge and comment on others’ posts.

The National Policy in Egypt for online learning

Mohamed Etify — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 23:49:12 +0000

There is an ambitious plan made by the Egyptian ministry of education. This plan is to make a wide use of computer and the internet by developing new programmes that follow the national needs analysis . Additionally,the Egyptian ministry of education is restructuring the whole curriculum to suit this type of learning. Moreover, the entire curricula are being uploaded on the internet to facilitate their access at home and at school by students. The minstry also has contracted many protocols with famous companies such as Microsoft, Cisco and Intel to upgrade software and train teachers to use present technology. I have received a training course sponsered by Cisco company. Moreover, I was asked afterwards to train students on the same course and the results were very promising. I noticed that stududents were very motivated and interested in using the computer and internet technologies.

Hello world!

Mohamed Etify — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:12:30 +0000

Welcome to my blog in Online Language Learning

Although it has some opponents, online language learning has contributed very much in TESOL. Besides, it has many advantages; especially when it comes to my context. Briefly, it can enhance the learners’ autonomy, give students more exposure to language and solve problems such as the classroom size.